


Voting for Obama

by aurorstorm



Category: Once Upon a Time (TV)
Genre: Gen, Politics
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-11-04
Updated: 2012-11-10
Packaged: 2017-11-17 23:06:46
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 3,377
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/554197
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/aurorstorm/pseuds/aurorstorm
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>"I suppose I haven't given it much thought. I'm not very fond of marriage at all, really," she says truthfully.</p><p>"I think it's nice. And it's not fair that some people can't get married if they find their true love, is it?" Henry adds, tears suddenly welling in his eyes.</p><p>(Two shot: Henry suddenly becomes very interested in the upcoming Presidential Election and, more specifically, each candidate's position on gay marriage. Part 2 deals with the election day and the gay marriage referendum in Maine!</p><p>Vaguely Swan Queen, but not really. )</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> I wrote this a while ago but I'm publishing it now because YOU GUYS ALL NEED TO VOTE FOR OBAMA OKAY. And, yeah, I'm getting really lazy with my titles.
> 
> Also, this may have a Swan Queen sequel but I'm not sure yet. Let me know what you think!

"Mom?"

Regina looks up from her toast and newspaper, surprised to hear her son's voice. Henry doesn't often make conversation with her over breakfast. "Mm?" she replies, and swallows her mouthful of toast with a sip of coffee.

"Who are you going to vote for this year?" he asks, after a brief pause.

"Do you mean in the presidential election, Henry?"

"Yeah." He looks at her expectantly, while Regina tries to collect her thoughts. Why would Henry suddenly be interested in national politics?

"I'm not actually sure yet," she says slowly, which is true. In general, she’s always favoured the Republicans, but there’s something about this Romney fellow that makes her a little queasy. "Why do you ask?"

He shrugs. "No reason."

"You are a terrible liar." Regina rolls her eyes as he blushes. "Have you been watching news programs, or perhaps discussing it in school?"

"No - well, yeah - well -" Henry stammers, "it's just, I heard Barack Obama say that he supports gay people getting married the other day. And the other man, the old one -"

"His name is Mitt Romney, Henry," she corrects on instinct, too stunned to comment on the fact that her ten-year-old son just brought up gay rights, of all things, at the breakfast table.

"Yeah - that guy. Well he doesn't want gay people to get married, and he was saying some mean things." Henry frowns. "I don't want him to be president. So because I can't vote, I was wondering who you will vote for."

"I see." Regina studies him carefully, noting the way his cheeks are still pink and his bottom lip pouts. Not only has he been following the gay rights debate on television, but he seems to be emotionally invested in the issue. Regina begins to worry that he has personal reasons to be affected - isn't he far too young to be questioning his sexuality? She is completely unprepared for  _that_  conversation. "Well, as I said," she replies calmly, determined to avoid the topic for now, "I haven't made my decision just yet."

Henry sighs, but still appears concerned. "Okay, but Mom, what do _you_ think about gay marriage?"

Well, there goes that strategy. "I suppose I haven't given it much thought. I'm not very fond of marriage at all, really," she says truthfully.

"I think it's nice."  _Of course he would,_  Regina thinks bitterly. "And it's not fair that some people can't get married if they find their true love, is it?" Henry adds, tears suddenly welling in his eyes.

Regina's stomach sinks at the truth of his words. Of course, her situation had gone beyond being unable to simply  _marry_  her true love, but still, the association dawns on her for the first time. And now she finds her own eyes blurring with unwanted tears - maybe not for the reason Henry thinks, but all the same, he seems to appreciate that they are agreeing on something, for once. "You're right, Henry," she says quietly, willing her voice to stay steady. "It isn't fair at all."

"I really hope Obama becomes president again," he mutters down into his cereal bowl, swiping at his eyes.

Regina's heart swells uncomfortably at the sight, and she lets her suddenly fragile emotional state get the better of her. "I might just vote for him then, just for you, Henry," she says, and he looks up at her with a smile. "But I have to ask," she adds, "Why are you so interested in gay marriage all of a sudden?"

He glances down at his cereal nervously. "Just because."

"Henry," she warns him, and his shoulders slump.

"Fine! Fine. It's just..." He stares at her for a moment, eyes narrowed. Regina almost shrinks back from the scrutiny, but she seems to pass some kind of test as he sighs and sits back in his chair, nodding. "You can't tell anyone about this. But I asked Emma the other day if she'd had any boyfriends besides my dad. And she told me that she hadn't, but that she's had girlfriends. She's – she’s a lesbian, Mom," he finishes in a whisper.

Regina is stunned into silence. Of course, she’d had her suspicions, because Sidney uncovered a fair bit of dirt on Emma’s past. Not to mention Emma’s wardrobe, and the way she seems a little too friendly with Ruby at the diner. Nevertheless, it’s a bit of a shock to hear it confirmed. "Is that so?" she replies, after a pause. 

"Yeah, and she told me it was no big deal, and she's right. I don't care," Henry insists. "I just want her to be happy, because she's my mom too. And then I started hearing all these things about gay marriage, and people on TV saying mean things about gay people, and -" he sniffs and swallows - "and I'm worried that she'll find her true love one day and she'll be happy, but she won't be able to get married."

"Oh sweetheart, that's so kind of you to worry," Regina soothes. "But I don't think Emma wants to be getting married any time soon, regardless of her sexual orientation."

Henry frowns and replies, "She might change her mind!"

"It's possible,” Regina admits. “But Henry, I want you to stop worrying about this. It's not worth you getting upset over. You're far too young to be getting involved in political debates."

"Fine. But only if you promise to vote for Obama."

"You know, you're not actually allowed to force someone to vote a certain way," Regina says with a smirk.

"You are if they're your Mom!"

Regina studies him for a moment longer, before getting up to clear their dishes. “You really care about this?” she asks him one final time.

He nods fervently. “Yeah. A lot.”

"Well then, Henry, you have my word."

 

 

 

“Right, what do you want?” Emma demands as she stomps into Regina’s office and flops down in the chair opposite her desk.

“I lied, earlier,” Regina says simply. “This isn’t about work. I just wanted to talk to you about Henry.”

Emma’s eyes grow wide. “Why? What did I do now? You got another stupid reason why I can’t see him?”

“You’re always so quick to assume the worst of me,” Regina sighs. “Actually, I wanted to discuss why my son was crying to me at breakfast this morning.”

“God, what happened?” Emma says, leaning forward in her chair.

“He began by asking me about the upcoming election,” Regina explains, “before becoming rather emotional about the same-sex marriage debate and how Mitt Romney doesn’t support it.”

“Oh.” Emma bites her bottom lip.

“Apparently you told him that you’re a... _lesbian_ , and now he’s very distressed by the fact that you may not be able to marry your _true love_ when you find them.”

“Shit,” Emma mumbles, blushing. “I swear, Regina, I didn’t mean for that to happen.”

“I have no problem with your sexual orientation, Ms Swan. But when it interferes with the emotional wellbeing of my son, I do believe I have the right to complain.”

Emma runs a hand through her hair, mussing the blonde curls. “Look, how was I supposed to know that he’d be so upset about marriage rights and politics and all that crap? Isn’t it better that he’s exposed to people like me, so he doesn’t become a bigot?”

“That’s not what this is about! I’m perfectly able to raise a non-prejudiced child, thank you very much,” Regina snaps. “I don’t need you and your slew of one-night stands with women to convince Henry that he shouldn’t hate gay people.”

“Shut up! You have no right to insult me about this!”

“Let me clarify,” Regina says. “I would have the same amount of respect for your relationships had they been with men _or_ women.”

Emma snorts. “How progressive of you.”

Regina pinches the bridge of her nose. “Look, I didn’t call you in here today to discuss your sordid past,” Regina says.

“Sure seems that way.”

Ignoring her, Regina presses on. “I would like you to talk to Henry about this. Ensure that he knows that your sexuality should not be the object of his concerns, and that the gay marriage debate will be resolved eventually.”

“Should I pick him up from school today? Take him to Granny’s?”

Regina nods. “That would be acceptable.” Emma pushes herself out of the chair, but before she can leave, Regina says, “Oh, and Ms Swan, I assume you are voting for Barack Obama?”

“That’s none of your business.”

“You’re right, it isn’t, but Henry would be very comforted to hear that you were.”

Emma folds her arms across her chest and stares at Regina, like it’s a challenge. “Of course I’m voting for Obama. I’m a woman, and I’m gay. In his eyes, I’m a human being. In Romney’s, I’m a threat and a nuisance. Something to be ashamed of.”

“That’s a very compelling argument,” Regina admits. For the first time since the morning’s reveal, Regina feels some compassion for the woman before her.

“And you?” Emma asks, narrowing her eyes.

“I’m voting for him too.”

“Good to know.” Emma smiles tightly. “I really am sorry, you know,” she adds quietly. “I didn’t want him to be upset about all this.”

“I believe you.”

Emma turns around and walks to the door, but pauses with her hand resting on the handle. “One more thing,” she says, and turns back to face Regina. “Could you, uh... could you keep this quiet? I’m not sure I’m ready for the whole town to know.”

“Oh, what a pity,” Regina drawls. "I was looking forward to holding a public forum for the in-depth discussion of the sexuality of government officials.”

Emma smirks. “Hilarious.”

“Of course I’ll keep your secret,” Regina adds seriously. “I know I haven’t been very fair to you in the past, but I do have boundaries. Sexuality is off-limits,” she stresses.

“Thanks,” Emma says. “And I’ll keep that in mind.”

Regina’s face darkens. “What are you implying?”

“Nothing at all,” Emma replies, and grins mischievously before leaving.

Regina huffs in disappointment. Just when she’d been sure she’d won that day’s discussion – because yes, any conversation between the two of them inevitably becomes a competition – Emma comes out with something like that just to throw her off. How infuriating.

 

 

 

Regina kicks off her heels the moment she steps inside, and walks straight up the stairs to Henry’s bedroom. She knocks twice, and opens the door when he calls out, “Come in.”

Henry is sprawled on his bed reading a comic book. “I hope you’ve finished your homework,” Regina says.

“Didn’t have any today.” Henry grins.

“Oh. Lucky you.” Regina sits on the end of his bed. “Did you have a nice time with Ms Swan?”

Henry nods. “Yeah. We had a good talk.”

“What did you talk about?”

Henry pulls himself up to a sitting position, and wraps his arms around his knees. “She told me not to worry about her so much. That she’s glad I care, but it’s not worth getting upset over. And she said that not every gay person wants to get married, and there are other important things they have to worry about too.”

“That’s very true.”

“So I still want Obama to win, but I’m not going to be sad about gay marriage. When I’m a bit older, I want to do something about it. But for now, I’ve got two moms who are going to vote the right way, which is all I can do.”

Regina strokes his hair, and for the first time in a long time, he doesn’t shrink away. “I’m so glad you’ve sorted this out in a very mature manner. I’m proud of you, Henry,” she tells him. “And if you do want to get involved in the debate when you’re older, I’ll support you.”

“Thanks, Mom.” He smiles at her, but then seems to study her for a while, not unlike the way he did in the morning before telling her about Emma. “You know,” he says eventually, “Emma told me some more things about gay people too. She said there’s also a thing where you can like girls _and_ boys, but she said that wasn’t her. She pretty much only likes girls. But what about you, Mom? Who do you like?”

Regina’s mouth goes oddly dry, and she feels a flush rising up her neck. After clearing her throat, she says, “I’ve only ever dated men, Henry. But... these kinds of things aren’t black and white. I’m not going to rule anything out.”

“Okay.” Henry nods, then smiles at her. “Can I get back to my comic now?”

“Of course. I’ll let you know when dinner’s ready.”

Regina makes her way back downstairs with a new goal – because after today, there’s nothing she’d like to do more than pour herself a generous glass of cider. 


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This took a little longer than expected. I hate it when life happens. But I hope you enjoy this :)

Regina finds herself being shaken awake rather vigorously on Tuesday morning. “Mom! Mom! Wake up!”

“Hm? Henry, is something wrong?” she asks, peering at him blearily.

Henry grins. “It’s voting day!”

Regina stifles a groan at her son's relentless enthusiasm. A glance at the clock by her bed tells her it's barely six in the morning, when Regina doesn't normally wake until half past, and Henry at seven. She consoles herself that Henry's waking up so early, albeit unnecessarily, for an inspiring reason. A great deal of adults could do with following his example.

“Yes, Henry, you’re right,” she says to him. “Today is a very important day.”

“So you get to vote for Obama and for gay marriage, yeah?” he asks, but he already knows the answer. Henry’s been waiting for this day for weeks - he's even marked it in big blue letters on his calendar. Blue for the Democrats, of course. Regina still isn't sure whether to be proud or slightly miffed that she's raised a liberal.

All of Storybrooke has been buzzing with political excitement, though. The State of Maine is partaking in a referendum for marriage equality at the same time as the Presidential election, which has generated a decent amount of interest. Much to Regina's disapproval, Henry has taken to asking random citizens of Storybrooke about their position on the issue. Some of Storybrooke's more conservative inhabitants didn't take to his intrusions as kindly as he had expected.

“Yes, I do," she answers him, "but not just yet. I think I should wake up, shower and go to work, first. And you need to go to school,” Regina reminds him.

Henry pouts, and turns on the puppy dog eyes. “Why can’t I have the day off?”

“There’s no need for that. I’ve already promised to pick you up at lunch so you can come and vote with me at City Hall.”

“ _Fine_ ,” Henry whines. “I guess that’s cool.”

“Now go and get yourself some breakfast,” Regina says, and she can’t hold back a smile as she watches her pyjama-clad son race out of the room.

 

 

Regina can almost feel Henry buzzing with excitement as she stands in line with him, one hand resting protectively on his shoulder. They are in the queue for around fifteen minutes, as the people of Storybrooke seem to be a good deal more interested in the democratic process since Emma Swan turned up and time started ticking once more. It's hard to feel too bitter about that, though, when she can see how empowered it makes Henry feel.

Once they reach their private booth, Regina looks down at Henry and offers him the pen, pleased to see his face light up. "Would you like to tick the box for me?" she asks.

"Really? Can I do that?" he replies incredulously, peering up at the ballot paper.

"Of course."

Henry grins broadly at her, and stands on his toes to check the boxes next to Obama's name and 'Yes' on Question One.

"You do the rest of the questions; they're boring," Henry tells her, and hands her back the pen.

 

 

After Henry finishes his dinner of Regina's special mac and cheese - comfort food, in case the night doesn't go his way - he plants himself in front of the television, flicking between different networks so he doesn't miss a thing. Regina sits next to him on the couch with her laptop. She's been assigned the role of browsing different state and national news websites for results on the referendum, in case it isn't announced on TV.

The hours tick by, and Henry's face grows more and more concerned as Romney maintains the lead. Even Regina feels the prickles of discontent at the prospect of a Republican victory, and not just for the sake of her son. She's been paying more attention to federal politics in the weeks after Henry's outburst, and nothing Romney had said, and especially gaffed, had sat comfortably with her in the slightest.

"What if he wins, Mom?" Henry says, turning to Regina with a frightened look in his eyes.

"Be patient, Henry. There are many more votes to count," she soothes. "Don't lose faith so soon."

 

 

By half past ten, Henry has curled up into the fetal position and is sleeping on the couch - only napping, he insisted, as Regina had smirked at him. She had promised to wake him up if anything changed, and finally, Obama has taken the lead. Regina lets Henry sleep while the lead is only marginal, but when things get really exciting as more Democrat states are called, Regina gently shakes Henry awake.

"We're winning," she tells him, and his face lights up instantaneously. It's the sweetest sight Regina has ever known.

 

 

"Only a few more! He needs 270, right?" Henry calls out to Regina, as he kneels in front of the TV.

"That's correct," Regina tells him. She walks back into the room and hands Henry the glass of milk he had requested. He sips it slowly, eyes glued to the screen, and he is so engrossed that he neglects to wipe at his milk moustache. After a moment's hesitation, Regina reaches over and gently cleans his upper lip with her thumb. He doesn't flinch away, and whether that's due to the excitement of this election or their tentatively renewed relationship, Regina doesn't really mind.

She stands behind Henry to watch events unfold, and then a man on the TV finally says that they're ready to call the result. "We are now prepared to say that we are projecting a victory for President Obama," the man announces, and suddenly Regina's vision is blurred by tears because Henry jumps up and throws his arms around her waist.

"We did it, Mom," he says against her shirt.

Regina holds him closer, and presses a kiss into his hair. "Yes. We did."

 

 

Regina picks up the remote and flicks through some channels, while Henry continues running laps around the room chanting 'we won, we won, we won'. A woman is reporting some breaking news - that marriage equality votes have been passed in three states.

"Henry, come here!"

Regina turns the volume up as he runs to her side, just in time to hear the reporter say that the bills have been passed in Maryland, Minnesota and --

"MAINE!" Henry shouts. "It passed in Maine!" He gives Regina an awkward high-five before recommencing his laps around the room.

It only takes ten minutes for him to flop onto the couch and fall asleep almost instantly. Regina sighs, before bending to lift him carefully in a bridal hold. _From the knees_ , she reminds herself, and then carries him gently upstairs to bed.

 

 

On Wednesday morning, Regina finds herself being shaken awake far too early once again.

"I missed the speeches, Mom!" Henry tells her, like it's some kind of emergency, and even he doesn't seem fully awake.

Regina yawns, then pats the hand that is still resting on her covers. "Of course you didn't, dear. I recorded every second for you."

"Oh." Henry blinks a few times. "Thanks. But I guess they'll be on youtube anyway." He shuffles out of the room, clearly heading straight back to bed.

"I'll wake you up for school," she calls to him, earning a grunt in response. Regina curls up under the covers again, and drifts back to sleep with a smile on her face.


End file.
